WASHINGTONO, Dec. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- The US Supreme Court late Monday rejected stay of execution for convicted murderer Stanley Tookie Williams, a former California gang leader.

    The ruling came just hours before Williams was scheduled to be executed at 12:01 a.m. (0801 GMT) on Tuesday for murdering four people during 1979 robberies. Enditem

    Schwarzenegger denies clemency for death row gangster

    LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday denied clemency for convicted murderer Stanley Tookie Williams, former leader of the notorious Crips inLos Angeles who is scheduled to be executed early Tuesday.

    "Clemency cases are always difficult and this one is no exception," Schwarzenegger said in a statement rejecting clemency for Williams who was sentenced to death in 1981 for killing four people in Los Angeles.

    The governor said he found no justification for granting clemency after studying evidences, searching history, listening to arguments and wrestling with profound consequences.

    "The facts do not justify overturning the jury's verdict or the decisions of the courts on this case," said the statement.

    A federal circuit court of appeals and the California Supreme Court earlier rejected an appeal for a stay of execution by Williams' attorneys in a last-minute effort to save the life of the inmate, who was nominated for Noble Prize more than once.

    Schwarzenegger's decision clears the way for Williams' execution by lethal injection at the San Quentin State Prison on Tuesday.

    Williams' attorneys and officials of the the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said they were disappointed about the governor's decision.

    "I must tell you we are deeply saddened by the governor's decision to not grant clemency," said Alice Huffman, statewide president of the NAACP. "We believe it is a serious blow to eliminating gangs and to creating a safer environment."

    Williams for the last several years has made a difference in the lives of children all over the world by crusading against gang violence, Huffman said.

    NAACP national president Bruce Gordon said the decision "absolutely reinforces the NAACP's opposition to the death penalty, based upon our genuine belief that the criminal justice system is flawed."

    Gordon said he believes the governor based his decision in parton Williams' refusal to admit guilt to the killings.

    Williams' supporters and death penalty opponents held vigils over the weekend to urge the governor to commute the execution to life in prison, while community leaders called for calm.

    Williams, 51, formed the Crips gang with a high school friend in 1971 in Los Angeles, and helped build it into a nationwide criminal group that continues to spawn street violence more than 30 years later.

    While behind bars, Williams has made his efforts to discourage young people away from street gang crimes by writing several children's books, earning him Nobel Prize nominations -- not only for peace but also in literature.

    No governor has granted clemency since executions resumed in California in 1992. Enditem